The Barclays Premier League bursts into life this weekend and the League’s work on and off the pitch will be showcased at the official season launch in London on Thursday morning.
The new season promises to more exciting and fascinating than ever, with four of last season’s top six clubs having new managers - including Jose Mourinho returning to Chelsea, Manuel Pellegrini being appointed at 2011/12 champions Manchester City and former Everton boss David Moyes taking over from Sir Alex Ferguson at reigning champions Manchester United - while Crystal Palace, Hull City and, for the first time in the Premier League, Cardiff City, will be looking to make their mark in the top flight.
"There is a sense of excitement that adds to the already compelling mix that is the Barclays Premier League"
Richard Scudamore
Established stars such as Frank Lampard, Jack Wilshere and Robin van Persie are ready to shine again while a host of new faces will aim to become heroes at their clubs, like Jesus Navas at Manchester City, Iago Aspas at Liverpool, Maarten Stekelenburg at Fulham, Aleksandar Tonev at Aston Villa, Andreas Cornelius at Cardiff City and Emanuele Giaccherini at Sunderland.
Managers and captains from four clubs, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Norwich City and Crystal Palace will be in attendance at the launch to talk about the new campaign, which begins on Saturday lunchtime when Liverpool host Stoke City.
“This is one of the most eagerly anticipated seasons I have known,” said Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore. “The departure of Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, combined with new managers at three of the other top-six finishing clubs last season has created a great deal of uncertainty of outcome - that helps create a competitive tension, a sense of excitement that adds to the already compelling mix that is the Barclays Premier League.
“Everywhere you look there is change and intrigue. The return of Mourinho, how will Moyes fair at and how different Manchester City might be under Pellegrini.
“The clubs keep investing in talent, and we want them to do that. The quality of the football – putting on the show as it were – is what drives the success and popularity of the League. We are fortunate to have 20 clubs that are constantly striving to be the best that they can.”
Launch venue of significance to Premier League
The launch event, which is being shown live in the UK on Sky Sports News, is taking place at Bacon’s College in Rotherhithe which is of special significance to the Premier League.
Four years ago, the College successfully bid for funding for brand new sports facilities from the Football Foundation, which is funded by the Premier League, The Football Association and the Government.
The project funding of £1,930,710 included a £817,000 grant from the Football Foundation and £80,000 from Nike Facilities and provided a wide range of new facilities for the local community including two junior football pitches, an artificial cricket wicket and practice nets as well as changing rooms and CCTV cameras.
The results have been spectacular, with a 700% increase in the number of local football participants since the facilities were built, with the number of individual users rising from 1,086 to 7,265.
The range and breadth of the Premier League’s good causes work will also be highlighted at the launch with a match between Manchester United’s and Tottenham Hotspur’s Under-18 Premier League Kicks teams. Premier League Kicks, the Premier League’s flagship Creating Chances project, is run in conjunction with the police and uses the power of football to help young people realise their potential as well as building bridges and relationships in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the community.
"We are in a position to develop areas of the game that will ensure success for many more seasons to come"
Richard Scudamore
“The Premier League and its clubs invest in schools sport and facilities,” added Scudamore. “A joint initiative with Sport England will see £16.8m invested in participation programmes like PL Kicks and PL 4 Sport, while a Football Foundation-administered facilities fund is creating a new generation of pitches, changing rooms and multi-sports facilities based around professional football clubs. This means club coaches can make sure that their local communities are getting the best possible use out of them.”
The work of the Premier League’s Youth Department will be on show when a coaching session designed by the Youth Department team, will be delivered by former Chelsea star Graeme Le Saux and ex-Spurs captain Ledley King to Under-8s and Under-9s from Docklands Junior FC.
“The strength of the Premier League as a model enables us and the clubs to make other decisions about how to invest in and develop the game,” explained Scudamore. “The focus for the coming season and beyond is youth and education.
“We have just had the first year of the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP), with clubs right across English professional football committing huge amounts of effort, time and resources to upping their game in the quality and delivery of their Academies. The ultimate aim is more and better Home Grown Players coming through to first team level – the added benefit of which should be more choice for the national sides too.
“£340 million over four years flowing into youth development is quite an investment.”
“Huge amounts of money – some £290m next season alone – flow from the Premier League to the rest of the game. Whether it’s solidarity payments to the Football League and Football Conference, funding the PFA or investing in the next generation of talented footballers it is because the of the strength of the competition that we can keep delivering increased levels of redistribution - levels that other sports and football bodies don’t even come close to.
“That is why it is important that as we look forward to another season of enthralling Barclays Premier League football with all the twists and turns that lay ahead it is important to remember that is because of the investment made in the competition rather than in spite of it that we are in a position to develop areas of the game that will ensure success for many more seasons to come.”
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